It's quite common for TV shows (even the very best) to have the odd episode (or in some cases, seasons) that aren't quite up to scratch in comparison to some of the show's best episodes. For instance, The Great Divide is quite commonly regarded to be the weakest episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and some point to The Simpsons episode 'The Principal and the Pauper' as being the moment that began the iconic show's nosedive into mediocrity. While a lot of Season 1 of Beast Wars is pretty watchable, there are the odd episodes that don't quite hit the highs that the show will go onto in later episodes. This brings us onto this episode, an episode that is fine, but not a particularly great one.
This episode's plot is divided into two plots running somewhat concurrently with each other. The first plot involves the Predacons drilling under the Maximal base to plant a sonic emitter that would allow them to access the base and attack it from the inside, and then we've got another plot where, after activating the Maximal's new defence system before it's ready, Rattrap finds himself trapped inside the Maximal base, and has to avoid it's several attacks in order to shut it down and allow the other Maximals access back into their base. Both plots don't really have much to do with each other, and we mainly just intercut between the two of them.
Much like last week, this is a Rattrap focused episode. It's interesting that, like with The Web and Equal Measures where we got two Cheetor episodes in a row (at least, if we go by the show's broadcast order rather than the production order), we now get two Rattrap episodes in a row. I can only speculate that Hasbro thought broadcasting these two episodes one after the other might help to further boost the sales of Rattrap's toy. Like in Double Jeopardy, Rattrap has to use his ingenuity and skills in order to navigate the Axalon in order to shut down Sentinal, the ship's new defence system. These segments can sometimes feel like an early 3D platformer like Crash Bandicoot (which was released a month prior to this episode's first broadcast), particularly the scene where Rattrap is surfing through a flooded corridor.
There's things I like about this particular plot - I like that it's showing the Maximals thinking of new ways to combat the Predacons and prepare for the possibility of a Predacon entering the base (which happens to be exactly what the Predacons are planning), and I like that it's Rhinox who is developing this new system - further establishing Rhinox as the Maximals technical/scientific expert. Dinobot doesn't feel the system is effective enough since he wants to kill the Predacons, and Sentinal is programmed to disarm and apprehend the Predacons rather than kill them.
The ending of the episode is also pretty clever, where we as the audience as well as the Maximals are lead to believe that Rattrap has been killed once Sentinal goes offline. The Maximals pay their respects, and we get to learn what they think of him. Even Dinobot admits that, while he has no love for Rattrap, he will miss him, and Rhinox refers to Rattrap as his best friend. Then the screen begins to go to black with a circle surrounding the Maximals (as if to signal the end of the episode) only to cut back to reveal Rattrap exiting the Axalon and greeting his allies.
The Predacon plot line isn't as interesting. We don't get as much characterisation for the Predacons asides from Blackarachnia being placed in charge of the mission, and she still has yet to come out of her shell beyond being the show's only female Predacon. However, we do get to see Tigatron single handedly take them on and reassuring Optimus that he doesn't need assistance to take on the Predacons. It's also nice to see that, while Tigatron operates in the wild separate from the other Maximals, the two parties are still in contact with each other and will give each other any intel that might be of interset to the other side.
While this isn't a bad episode, and has plenty in it to make it a worthwhile watch, it isn't anything special in the grand scheme of things.
Next time: Optimus Primal gets infected with a virus in 'Gorilla Warfare'
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